The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-01
BIZ MALE TEACHERS OF ROGER
WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
To the YeuRg Women Teachers
A Very Nasty, Dirty State
Of Things.
MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS
BY THE OFFICERS,
And ExOrbltaRt Prices Charged the
Poor Students, by Which the
SWlndIers Made q Profit.
IsPEc1AL TO TIE APPEAL.I

cellar to attic, from center to clrcum'
ference, over blooming sensation
that savors strongly of scandal. II
seems that the personsges most prom
inent in the sffsir are the president Of
the Roger Williams University, the
Rev. DR.. William II. Stiff n, and
the treasurer Of the institution,
Mr.. T. E. Bdlch. Dr.. s ifer origin
ally came from Davenport, Ia where
he was pastor of a Baptist Church.
About two years ago he was appointed
President OF the University by the
American Baptist Mission Society OF
New York, all of the officers and
teachers OF the University receiving
their appo ntmenls from the same
source. Mr.. 7 E. Balcb, the Univsr.
sity treasurer, halls from Wake
field, Mass, and came to
Nashville about the same time that
DR.. Sitter arrived, their commissions
being dated at the same time. The
students at Roger williams number
ordinarily about $50, but the number
has dwiDdled ths present session to
about $50, two-thirds of whom are
males. The regular University of
Tennessee closes on May 25th. About
three months ago rsak dissatisfaction
showed itself among the students,
and very ugly runners were ahost here
and there as to the conduct OF the
president and treasurer.
A committee on behalf Of the stu
dents was appointed to investigate at
fairs, charges were preferred and for
warded to New York, and DR.. E. T.
Hiscox, pres dent of the Home Mis-
sion Board, OF New York, came to
Nashville to investigate matters.
Such was tbs condition OF things
when an APPEAL man called yestsr-
day at the Roger Williams University.
Inquiry, revealed the fact that DR..
Sitter was not at home and has re-
fused to make any statement. The
APPEAL representative thereupon
looked up the committee appointed
ON behalf Of the students, who unsni-
mously opposed further delay and saw
no necessity for waiting. The COM
mittee produced the charge they had
produced against BalCh, from which
the following abstract was made:
/. They charge him with being I'M
fair in his dealings with the students,
and some OF the students who have
paid their bills and have receipts for
the amounts, nave trouble frequently
with Mr.. BAlch, who denied that the
bills have been paid, also that the
University.catalogue states that all ar
tices, such as books, fuel, coal oil, etc.,
shall be sold to students at wholesale
prices, and cite as an instance that he
charged % cents per gallon for coal oil
purchased in the city at II cents per
gallon.
2. They charge Mr.. Bslch with hav-
ing made improper proposals to a lady
teacher (white). and also to a young
lady who is a udent of the Univer-
sity. These proposals were made dur.
ing the last November, proposing to
meet them in their halls at certain
improper hours. Before and since
that time he was constantly speaking
to certain young lady students in surh
terms: "You era mighty pretty"
"You have lovely dimples and / like
you"
8. They charge him with speaking
eontemptuously Of the venerable Rev.
DR.. D. w, Phillips, formerly President
OF the University, and now one of the
faculty, and that he even objected to
a glass OF milk being given Dr.. Phil
lips at tbs University.
4. They chsrga Mr.. Balch with
furnishing nau3eous food to the stu
de0ts, having under bis control the
buying Of ell food for the University
They assert that he frequently bought
and furnished an inferior article-blue
beef and musty -four, and the weakest
of tea and coffee-so that many OF the
students have become dyspeptic;
also, that he was in The habit of &C
eusing the students Of theft, and has in
many ways exerted deadening ipHu-
ence over the school. The charges
against DR.. W. II. Sitter, President
Of the University, condensed, are as
follows:
First-We charge him with non-re-
Cognition of the above charges, and
with attempting to smother them by
threats to expel those concerned, and
that he did expel one student for the
above cause.
Second-He Is q man whom the stu.
dents have no confidence in, and we,
the students, believe he hasno regard
for the truth.
Third-We char9e him with using
abusive language and eliminating the
students, such as calling them liars,
fool Z, stabbers in the dark, mob and
worse than the heather in Africa, and
all of this simply because they pre-
sented the above charges.
Four,h-We charge him with refus-
ing to let the matter come before the
faculty and incorporating the local
Board of Trustees.
Pifth-We charge him with using
religion deCeptively as means Of
carrying out his diaboliCal schemes.
One hundred and seventeen students
have presented a written request for
an honorable dismissal from the uni
Versity, and will leave Thursday morn
ing, March Sd. The charges above
SET forth, the students say,
were verified in the presence of the
local board and DR., E. I. Hoscox,
President of the Home Mission Board,
OF New York. The investigation of
these chs ges took place at the uni
Versity on December II, Is and 20,
1885, and the charges were then
forwarded to New York. The
students we're TO have had
q hearing Immediately after the
meeting OF the board at New York on
January 10, 1887, bat did not receive
any. hearing until some time this
month. The letter then sent was I'M
satisfactory, and only put the matter
in state Of postponemsnt. The Stu.
dents now make the following state
ment.
"The worthy students OF this uni
versi = recognizing the fact that the
we'll being OF our race, the sanctity
and prosperity Of our ever noble iutt-
tuition, peace Of home, the happiness
Of the family role, good government